Angela Bauer: Marotta Should Not Pay Child Support

By Sarah Plake&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Sun 9:43 PM, Jan 06, 2013&nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Mon 5:01 AM, Jan 07, 2013

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) -- 13 News has told William Marotta's story, the man caught in the middle of a child support case filed by the state of Kansas, after he donated his sperm to a lesbian couple three years ago.

13 News got another aspect of the story from Angela Bauer, a parent of the child, who is advocating for Marotta.

Angela Bauer and Jennifer Schreiner have eight children, some taken in from the foster care system and some they adopted.

In 2009, they wanted to conceive a child.

After what Bauer calls an "uncomfortable" meeting with a family practitioner, they decided to go another route, an ad on craigslist.org.

That's when they found William Marotta, who agreed to donate his sperm to the couple.

Angela said it was a process, and not something out of haste. She said the three of them had many conversations about it. They thought Marotta was a good guy.

Marotta, Bauer and Schreiner signed a contract relinquishing all parental rights to the child that would be created.

They wanted a personal experience, so they inseminated at home. Why didn't they use a doctor? Bauer said they didn't know they needed one.

But they did need one. Under a Kansas statute, a sperm donor is considered the father if insemination is not performed through a doctor.

Bauer said they would have used a doctor had they known.

The two split, and after Bauer's illness prevented her from working, Schreiner filed for government assistance, and the state is now going after Marotta for reimbursement.

Bauer said she doesn't feel Marotta should pay child support for the little girl born three years ago.

"I don't feel William owes any obligation to (her)," she said.

She feels she is responsible for her daughter.

"If gays and lesbians had equal rights in the state of Kansas, my name would've been the other name on the birth certificate, so I would be the person the state of Kansas was going after for child support," Bauer said. "I think it goes back to wanting equality."

Recently the department for children an families claimed Schreiner deceived the agency, saying she didn't know the sperm donor's name. She eventually did reveal it.

Bauer said Schreiner simply didn't want Marotta involved.

"Jennifer is not the type of person to outright deceive someone," she said. "I think her thinking at the time was that she didn't want to have to throw William's name out there because all he'd done was donated sperm."

The state also filed a motion to appoint a guardian for the girl. Bauer said she was surprised.

"(She) has two parents who are really going to advocate for her best interest. So I don't know why the state feels like she needs another representation," she said. "I'm kind of at a loss."

She said if the state wins and Marotta is required to pay child support and has visitation rights, that he would add good things to their daughter's life.

Bauer and Schreiner don't want their daughter shown in the media, and if anything, want this to be a step forward for families like hers.

"We're just trying to do the best we can for our kids and live our life in a way that sets positive role models for them."

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